Plug-In Hybrids Are OK, But How About a REAL Green Machine?

Toyota's announcement that they're testing plug-in hybrid cars (see NYT, Jalopnik for details) is great -- if for no other reason than it holds GM's feet to the fire on the Volt project. And as Robert Samuelson notes in today's Washington post, just buying a Prius isn't going to cut it when it comes to oil demand or global warming.

Frankly, GM seems to have the right idea -- an electric car that's "hybrid" only in the sense that it has a gas-powered generator on board that will recharge the batteries when stopping to plug in for a few hours simply isn't practical. (I drool over the Tesla Roadster like anyone else, but I'm waiting for the first story next year that George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger or one of the other wealthy folks on Tesla's waiting list ran out of juice and had to tow their $98K sportscar home.)

But for someone who wants a) flexibility; b) something approaching true energy independence; and c) a vehicle that's practical and not just pretty; there's still a way to go. Here's what I really need:

• A 4-door pickup truck -- for the realities of life with two kids, a dog, a yard, etc., and to allow room for the other stuff on this wish list. Full-size is OK, but a compact or mid-size would be even better.
• Electric drivetrain with built-in generator and plug-in charging, a la GM. Wheel hub motors -- as promised in the possibly mythical ZAP X -- would be nice.
• Make that generator diesel-powered, not gas. Then drop in a Frybrid or Greasecar kit, so that used vegetable oil is also a fuel option.
• Outfit it with tweels.

And... presto! Seating for five. All-wheel drive. Room to haul mulch, boxes, or the massive amount of stuff a trip to the beach now seems to require. Zero emissions for most driving (aside from what Virginia Power is producing to generate the electricity running to our house). And on longer trips, the option of using diesel, bio-diesel or the grease trap of the roadside diner to fill up and keep moving.

As for the tweels... supposedly, they last longer than normal tires, so that's less money in the long run and less rubber in the landfills. Mainly, though, I just think they're kind of cool -- and that "tweel" sounds funny.

Granted, the next-gen batteries needed for this aren't quite ready for prime time (at least according to GM & Toyota; Tesla begs to differ). Using vegetable oil as fuel can get you in trouble with the state revenuers (another word that's fun to say). And diesel motors are more expensive than their gas-fired cousins, even before the vegetable-oil kit is added in.

But really, is the idea all that outlandish? The Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra already plans to bring a diesel-electric SUV to the U.S., while other companies are talking about similar hybrids. And as I understand it, GM's Volt platform is intended to accomodate a range of different fuels, although diesel may not be an option in the states. So how big of a stretch would this really be?

Of course, there's always the DIY approach. And if I converted the truck I already have, it'd even be a convertible -- though not 4-door, and definitely not as sexy as a Tesla...